Project PREM-Educo: Protecting Childhood, Empowering Futures
PREM (People’s Rural Education Movement) in partnership with Educo, Spain, has initiated a project to reduce child marriage, child labour, and to strengthen child care and protection system in different villages of Daringbadi block of Kandhamal district, Odisha” in the month of January 2021. Focus Areas: Child Protection, Education, Adolescent Empowerment, Legislative Advocacy
Project PREM-Educo: Protecting Childhood, Empowering Futures
PREM (People’s Rural Education Movement) in partnership with Educo, Spain, has initiated a project to reduce child marriage, child labour, and to strengthen child care and protection system in different villages of Daringbadi block of Kandhamal district, Odisha” in the month of January 2021. Focus Areas: Child Protection, Education, Adolescent Empowerment, Legislative Advocacy
Project PREM-Educo: Protecting Childhood, Empowering Futures
PREM (People’s Rural Education Movement) in partnership with Educo, Spain, has initiated a project to reduce child marriage, child labour, and to strengthen child care and protection system in different villages of Daringbadi block of Kandhamal district, Odisha” in the month of January 2021. Focus Areas: Child Protection, Education, Adolescent Empowerment, Legislative Advocacy
Project PREM-Educo: Protecting Childhood, Empowering Futures
PREM (People’s Rural Education Movement) in partnership with Educo, Spain, has initiated a project to reduce child marriage, child labour, and to strengthen child care and protection system in different villages of Daringbadi block of Kandhamal district, Odisha” in the month of January 2021. Focus Areas: Child Protection, Education, Adolescent Empowerment, Legislative Advocacy
About the Project
PREM (People’s Rural Education Movement) in partnership with Educo, Spain, has initiated a project to reduce child marriage, child labour, and to strengthen child care and protection system in different villages of Daringbadi block of Kandhamal district, Odisha” in the month of January 2021.
Key Information
Status
Active
Project Duration
2024-04 – 2026-03
Partners
Partners: Educo (Spain), PREM
Locations
Daringbadi Block, Kandhamal District, Odisha
Category
Livelihood
The Challenge: The Context of Kandhamal
Daringbadi is a tribal-dominant block where poverty, migration, and lack of education have created severe vulnerabilities for children. The statistics prior to our intervention highlighted an urgent need for action:
• Child Marriage: 35.5% of girls in the district were subjected to child marriage, with some as young as 12.
• Teen Pregnancy: 17.2% of women aged 15-19 were already mothers or pregnant.
• Child Labour: Approximately 6,456 child labourers were identified in the district.
• Education Gap: The female literacy rate lagged at 51.94%, with high dropout rates among SC/ST students.
• Malnutrition: 35.8% of children under five were classified as underweight.
Our Mission
Launched initially in January 2021, the PREM-Educo partnership aims to reduce the prevalence of child marriage and child labor while strengthening child care and protection systems. We are currently in Phase III of the initiative, operating through three distinct but interconnected projects.
Current Projects (2024–2026)
1. Project IN2285: Empowering Adolescents (Ages 13-18)
Focus: Protection and Education
• Goal: To ensure adolescents live in a safer environment and act as agents of social change.
• Intervention: We have formed 96 Adolescent Groups comprising 4,497 members. These adolescents are trained to defend their rights, reporting abuses, and have taken oaths to refuse early marriage.
• Key Activity: Career counseling in 20 schools and establishing Life Skill Education corners to prevent dropouts.
2. Project IN2290: Overall Development of Children (Ages 0-12)
Focus: ECCE, Health, and Primary Education
• Goal: Improving health, nutrition, and learning outcomes for younger children.
• Intervention:
◦ 0-3 Years: Focus on immunization, growth monitoring, and nutrition via Anganwadi centers.
◦ 3-6 Years: Improving Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) quality.
◦ 6-12 Years: Enhancing grade-specific learning levels in primary schools.
• Innovation: Development of 20 Multipurpose Activity Centres (MPACs) featuring open libraries, math corners, and sports facilities to foster holistic growth.
3. Project IN2294: Increasing Agency for Child Protection (State Level)
Focus: Advocacy and Governance
• Goal: To bridge the gap between children’s voices and policy makers.
• Intervention:
◦ Legislator’s Forum: Transforming the Legislature Forum into an active body where MLAs review child-centric policies.
◦ Systematic Dialogue: Facilitating interface meetings between child leaders, the Chief Minister, and Cabinet Ministers.
◦ Policy Impact: Ensuring children's demands are raised in the assembly sessions.
Operational Scale & Reach
Our work in Daringbadi operates on a massive community scale, ensuring no child is left invisible.
• Villages Covered: 103 Villages across 7 Gram Panchayats.
• Community Groups: 96 Village Child Protection Committees and 96 Adolescent Groups.
• Governance: We work with Child Protection Committees at the Village, Gram Panchayat, Block, and District levels.
Key Strategies & Activities
Community-Led Protection
• Street Plays: Adolescents organize plays to create massive awareness about the consequences of child labor and marriage.
• Tracking Systems: We implement tracking to monitor school attendance and prevent children from migrating for labor.
Nutrition & Health
• Nutri-Gardens: Established in 20 Anganwadi centers and 18 schools to improve the nutritional status of children.
• Immunization: Mobilizing parents to attend Village Health & Nutrition Days to ensure complete immunization.
Infrastructure for Learning
• MPACs: Our Multipurpose Activity Centres provide safe spaces for value education, cultural activities, and remedial learning.
• Parental Engagement: Activating School Management Committees (SMCs) to encourage parents to visit schools and engage in their child's education.
.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
Project Gallery
%20training%20at%20Phulbani.jpg&w=828&q=75)
.jpg&w=828&q=75)
.jpg&w=828&q=75)
.png&w=828&q=75)
.png&w=828&q=75)
.png&w=828&q=75)
.png&w=828&q=75)
.png&w=828&q=75)
.png&w=828&q=75)
.jpg&w=828&q=75)
.jpg&w=828&q=75)
%20and%20given%20their%20valuable%20inputs%20for%20quality%20center%20transaction.png&w=828&q=75)
